Wife's 40th: Oh no, not Orlando! Planning for 2016

myloaf

Hi all,

I’m looking for some advice and tips from people regarding a trip to Florida. I’ve had a look through MSE guide to Cheap Disney/Florida Tickets and this has helped a few things to look out for, be mindful of and to avoid. But I’m looking for tips and tricks to help my money go as far as it can…

So here’s the background:

- The trip is for my wife’s 40th. She turns 40 in March next year. However, the trip is for Sept/Oct next year. The thinking behind this is that we also have a daughter and will be very close to turning 4 then, and therefore will get much more out of the trip (ie she’ll remember it!), and the parks should, I think, be a bit quieter after summer. Also, Oct might be a bit cooler for the little one and, if I delay it to the end of the month, then there’s always Halloween.

- My wife is a theme park nut – she’s been to Florida before. I think my daughter has inherited this gene based on a recent trip to Paultons Park. Me? I’m the designated bag holder. With that in mind I think that trips to Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter will be called for. I think a trip to Disney would also be called for the little one – definitely the Magic Kingdom and possibly Epcot.

- I’m unsure yet as to the length of the stay, this all depends on the cost I’m currently looking at the differences between a 7-day, 10-day and 14-day stay.

- I have some Holiday Inn loyalty points which I can trade in for free nights (4 free nights in total). However, beyond the four nights, I’m pretty sure I could get the remaining nights cheaper by not going through the hotel’s own website. Or whether I couldn’t get a better deal at a different hotel. I don’t know whether anyone else on the forum has any experience of this? It’s difficult to be precise about this because the Holiday Inn website doesn’t quote that far in advance (Oct-16), so I’m having to use dates that don’t line up.

Obviously, this is the big thing regarding the cost of the holiday – accommodation for a 7 day stay will be cheaper than a 14 day stay. I also don’t want to feel obliged to use Holiday Inn for the remainder duration just because I’m using loyalty points. I have heard that sometimes, particularly around Disney, that the off-site hotels can be a lot cheaper, and sometimes the biggest discounts are best found right up until the last minute, as the hotels are desperate to fill rooms. Again this is a trickier / riskier proposition when planning so far in advance – but the bigger the potential discounts might influence the length of the stay (if that makes any sense?!)

- I’ve had a look at flights. Again I’m limited by the fact that the website I used (Travel Supermarket) doesn’t quote as far ahead as Oct-16. And this comes in at about £1200 for the three of us – which is fine (£400 each).

- Multiple parks is going to mean car rental so I have to factor this in also.

- Multiple parks is also going to mean tickets for the parks. Having never been to Florida I don’t know the size and scale of the parks and how much is ‘do-able’ in a day, particularly with a near-4year old, or whether more time than ‘a day’ at each park needs to be allocated? I think the only nailed-on ‘must-do’s’ would be Islands of Adventure and Magic Kingdom, the rest would be nice-to-do’s but I don’t want to keep paying silly entry fees. Any opinions on time to allocate per park would be gratefully received!

- Also buying park tickets, having looked through MSE guide, it seems a bit of minefield and can only be budgeted for once I know how long we’re actually likely to stay in each park. Having looked on other places it seems as though 3rd party ticket sellers are usually cheaper. But are there any ways to make the tickets cheaper? Family tickets? Mulitple parks tickets?

- Also, I’d been keen for ideas on what to do beyond the theme parks. Being slightly selfish, I don’t want the holiday to be wall-to-wall theme parks… there needs to be a few moments of respite J. How far away/do-able are things like the Kennedy Space Center and the everglades? These might not be possible, but recalling reading about Florida when I was child suggests they’re in the same state (??!) Also, dining out and ‘retail therapy’ are there any good places to go or, equally important, avoid. On the, ‘retail therapy’ point I think it may be an advantage to apply for an overseas credit card (currently best being the Halifax Clarity, but this could change as Oct 16 looms)!

- Finally, should I discount Travel agents/package deals?

As mentioned, this is in the early planning stages, but I want to start firming things up soon just so I can work out what I can and can’t afford, and also knowing the costs of what options I can trade off against another. I understand the above is a lot to take in, I’m not looking for any solutions, rather just some helpful tips and advice on your Florida holidaying experiences as these would be very would be welcome and might help clear some of the foggy bits I have around planning it/ paying for it. There will be lots of great advice out there that won't have crossed my too-dim-to-think mind!


Many thanks,

Mark

EssexExile

I'm no good on the kiddy stuff but Kennedy Space Centre is less than an hour in the car. The Everglades would involve a night or two away in a motel somewhere like Homestead. If you like nature drive down to Homestead, stay the night then spend a day wandering into the Everglades stopping many times, then wander back to Homestead again for a second night then back to Orlando & the parks. There's plenty to see on the way down & back.
End of October is a great time to go.

[Deleted User]

Personally, I think four is too young to be doing all the parks you suggested.
Possibly The Magic Kingdom but even then I doubt she'll remember much at that age.Epcot ? Forget it.
As for all the rest they're mainly attractions suitable for much older kids and adults - you'll be dragging the daughter around like a ball and chain.
Also If you want to do this independently you're not going to get flights for Oct 2016 this far out - I'd be thinking early next year.
But overall I think you're making a mistake by combining what could be a great adult holiday with bringing along a young child.
Again,personally,I'd leave her with the grand-parents and go off and enjoy yourselves.
Take her when she's older and you're a bit more experienced with Florida.
Others,however,may disagree.

meer53

I don't think it's a problem taking a 4 year old, we've been lots of times to Florida, the first when my daughter was 3, i get the impression the OP's wife will enjoy the holiday more then the child, it's for her 40th anyway,so it won't be a problem. We took a pushchair when she was small and she slept each afternoon whilst we enjoyed the parks. The OP and wife will have a fabulous time, there's never a bad time to to take children to Florida IMO

Moto2

Sept is the worst month for hurricanes in Florida so be aware when booking.

lea2012

I'll disagree with the previous poster and say that taking a child of 4 is not a problem, as long as you don't try to cram too much in one day and you organise yourselves properly.

Realistically I think you would need to do 14 days so that you can do a day on / day off for theme parks, waterparks etc. Also make sure that you make the most of the parks by taking regular breaks whether it be stopping for regular snacks / drinks or simply to enjoy one of the many shows or parades on offer. Also consider using Fastpasses for the bigger rides so that you don't need to queue all day, you don't all have to use it for the same ride so your wife can go on some of the bigger ones if she wishes without you both.

If you are thinking of going next Sept / October I would start to look at packages now from the likes of Thomson, Thomas Cook etc.
We normally book all of our holidays DIY but we're off to Florida next year and found it much cheaper to book a package with Thomson to stay offsite but still on International Drive than to book it all separately. We saved about £500 each to book it through them than to book flights, hotel, tickets and car hire ourselves but this isn't always the case. Thomson and Thomas Cook have flights for sale already for those dates so check it out.

I would say that you will likely get a better deal by booking the one hotel for the full stay, possibly not with HI, and then you also won't need the hassle of changing accomm part way through your holiday either. If you're travelling with a young child then I'd even suggest consider booking a villa as then you have more space and the freedom to cook for yourselves if she's tired.

John259

A couple of links to Google Maps showing routes:

International Drive to Kennedy Space Center:
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/International+Dr,+Orlando,+FL,+USA/Kennedy+Space+Center,+Brevard+County,+FL,+United+States/@28.4964626,-81.2072355,11z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x88e77e2d9afd3d77:0xc57ea53b1e126359!2m2!1d-81.4702134!2d28.4301645!1m5!1m1!1s0x88e74b95a365c6fd:0x8b7339f246f869dd!2m2!1d-80.6489808!2d28.5728722!3e0?hl=en

International Drive to Everglades National Park:
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/International+Dr,+Orlando,+FL,+USA/Everglades+National+Park,+FL,+United+States/@27.7117509,-82.5768416,7.75z/data=!4m19!4m18!1m10!1m1!1s0x88e77e2d9afd3d77:0xc57ea53b1e126359!2m2!1d-81.4702134!2d28.4301645!3m4!1m2!1d-80.8319239!2d25.3235446!3s0x88d0ab21fb082555:0x87f82f8c48c420d4!1m5!1m1!1s0x88d0a8307a6c05db:0xfe03e56762f3197!2m2!1d-80.8986509!2d25.2866155!3e0?hl=en

BTW if you're ok with the mileage, the Keys might be worth considering. Here's a link to a video (not made by me) of a trip to the Keys:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vizRwtJqgl4

[Deleted User]

meer53 wrote: »

I don't think it's a problem taking a 4 year old, we've been lots of times to Florida, the first when my daughter was 3, i get the impression the OP's wife will enjoy the holiday more then the child, it's for her 40th anyway,so it won't be a problem. We took a pushchair when she was small and she slept each afternoon whilst we enjoyed the parks. The OP and wife will have a fabulous time, there's never a bad time to to take children to Florida IMO

I'm trying to think of the logistics of two adults going to an amusement park with a 4-year-old child.
Who looks after the kid when you want to go on a ride ? Who looks after the kid at night when you want a meal and a few drinks ?
From experience I found it easier to wait until our kids were older so they'd appreciate the parks,remember the rides and accompany us to a restaurant to eat with adults in the evening. I suppose it's why so many families take one or both grandparents or a babysitter with them.

John259

Theme parks are very different to amusement parks. There are plenty of rides and other attractions in the Magic Kingdom (Florida) and Disneyland (California) that all the family could enjoy together. Most rides aren't roller coasters.

lea2012

Disney do a 'Parent Swap' option so that you can all queue for the ride together and then one parent goes on before swapping over when that person has finished. I also think they do parent swap where one person can queue whilst the other person entertains the child and then they just join the queue at the last minute but I may be wrong on that one.

As for eating out at night, why can't you take a child with you? You certainly can at Disney as most places cater fantastically well for families. But that said, you can go for an earlier dinner in the park if you wish and then head home and have a nightcap at your hotel or in your room / villa instead if you really wanted one.

A disney / florida holiday is very much family orientated meaning you forsake fancy dinners and nights out on the lash without kids in order to have long fun filled days and early nights ready for the next day of adventure!

myloaf

Thanks Essex Exile. Kennedy Space Center is a must, and the everglades and nature is absolutely the sort of stuff we like to do - in fact our honeymoon was spent exploring some relatively off the beaten path treks in North California and Washington, this included regular pit stops on the journey too.